


Some Assembly Required

by ragnarok89



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Between Episodes, Canon Compliant, Drabble, Exhaustion, Gen, Introspection, M/M, Male Bonding, Male Friendship, POV Alternating, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Season/Series 02, Short One Shot, Stress Relief, Talking, Trust, tf-rare-pairing Weekly Request Response
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-24
Updated: 2015-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-23 03:58:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4862234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragnarok89/pseuds/ragnarok89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabble. It's okay to not be okay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Some Assembly Required

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the tf_rare_pairing prompt, "Ratchet/Fowler - universal".

Agent Fowler frowned as he looked from stairwell across the way to see Ratchet. The Autobot medic was grumbling and grimacing, looking intently at the monitor. From what Fowler could tell, the entire deal with the Iacon database had Ratchet even more confused than ever, even when Optimus was the one who decoded it.

“Ratchet, are you okay?” Fowler asked, holding onto the railing that was adjacent to where the medic was. Ratchet diverted his attention from the database upon hearing Fowler, his optics blinking to get better adjusted to the human’s presence.

“I’m fine, Agent Fowler. I have to be,” he muttered.

“Well, you don’t always have to. If this whole Iacon thing is exhausting you,” Fowler replied. He looked away for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck; it was a nervous tic.

Ratchet narrowed his optics. A stern look formed on his face, “No, I do. I’m the medic. I need to be here to work, and the team is relying on me. Every one of them is all counting on me, especially Optimus.”

Fowler frowned again. He knew how much pressure Ratchet put on himself, now after the relic hunt more than ever. Team Prime had just gotten a bit stronger and he didn’t want to risk letting them down.

It was a pressure that the former Army Ranger knew all too well. 

He looked up again at the medic, meeting his gaze, and spoke. “Look, Ratchet, I understand that. Really, I do. The team needs you, we need you, but we all also need you to be all right. What I’m trying to say is that it’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to give yourself a break. You want to help Optimus, to help Team Prime. You want to keep me, Jack, Raf, and Miko safe; not to mention the rest of humanity. That is very noble and we couldn’t thank you enough, but to do those things, you need to look after yourself.”  

After letting all of that sink in, a pensive look on his faceplates, Ratchet vented out a sigh, “I’m not really skilled at looking after myself.” 

Fowler then smiled, “Well luckily you have me to look after you…if you don’t mind.” 

The medic blinked and then nodded his head, smiling a bit. “All right then…”

“Good to know.” Fowler replied, smiling back.

It was a universal feeling, that when it all seemed too much, there would at least those who would have your back. Some assembly would have to be required in that first.

 


End file.
